Finding PDF Invoices, Combining them with Purchase Orders and Check Copies

rogerklotz · April 18, 2023, 4:02pm

Yea tha'ts what i'd likely have to do - i can purchase houdah spot? I have alfred as well

ccstone · April 18, 2023, 4:04pm

HoudahSpot is a better interface for Spotlight than the macOS provides but is not necessary for this task.

A simple smart-search in the Finder will do, so go ahead and create one.

rogerklotz · April 18, 2023, 4:11pm

copy - okay ive set up a smart search

ccstone · April 18, 2023, 6:20pm

Having technical challenges and changing my approach.

Stand by...

rogerklotz · April 18, 2023, 6:22pm

thank you chris

ccstone · April 18, 2023, 6:52pm

Do you know how to use the Terminal?

Download Xpdf

Mac 64-bit: download
Unzip the file.
Open up the bin64 folder.
Open the Terminal.app.
Type cd\<space\> (a literal space) into the Terminal
Drag the bin64 folder into the Terminal
Hit Return.
Type: ./pdffonts -h and then hit Return.

If you get output we'll talk about how to install the tools and move forward.

rogerklotz · April 18, 2023, 7:14pm

This is the outpiut i am getting -

~ % ./pdffonts -h

zsh: no such file or directory: ./pdffonts

ccstone · April 18, 2023, 10:03pm

What do you get when you type:

pwd

and Return in that same Terminal session window?

rogerklotz · April 19, 2023, 7:12am

Last login: Wed Apr 19 01:58:33 on ttys000
svc@SKMACBOOK ~ %  cd\< \>    
zsh: command not found: cd<
svc@SKMACBOOK ~ % /Users/svc/Downloads/xpdf-tools-mac-4.04\ 5/bin64/pdfdetach /Users/svc/Downloads/xpdf-tools-mac-4.04\ 5/bin64/pdffonts /Users/svc/Downloads/xpdf-tools-mac-4.04\ 5/bin64/pdfimages /Users/svc/Downloads/xpdf-tools-mac-4.04\ 5/bin64/pdfinfo /Users/svc/Downloads/xpdf-tools-mac-4.04\ 5/bin64/pdftohtml /Users/svc/Downloads/xpdf-tools-mac-4.04\ 5/bin64/pdftopng /Users/svc/Downloads/xpdf-tools-mac-4.04\ 5/bin64/pdftoppm /Users/svc/Downloads/xpdf-tools-mac-4.04\ 5/bin64/pdftops /Users/svc/Downloads/xpdf-tools-mac-4.04\ 5/bin64/pdftotext
pdfdetach version 4.04 [www.xpdfreader.com]
Copyright 1996-2022 Glyph & Cog, LLC
Usage: pdfdetach [options] <PDF-file>
  -list            : list all embedded files
  -save <int>      : save the specified embedded file
  -saveall         : save all embedded files
  -o <string>      : file name for the saved embedded file
  -enc <string>    : output text encoding name
  -opw <string>    : owner password (for encrypted files)
  -upw <string>    : user password (for encrypted files)
  -cfg <string>    : configuration file to use in place of .xpdfrc
  -v               : print copyright and version info
  -h               : print usage information
  -help            : print usage information
  --help           : print usage information
  -?               : print usage information
svc@SKMACBOOK ~ % pwd   
/Users/svc
svc@SKMACBOOK ~ %  cd\< \/Users/svc/Downloads/xpdf-tools-mac-4.04\ 5/bin64/pdfdetach /Users/svc/Downloads/xpdf-tools-mac-4.04\ 5/bin64/pdffonts /Users/svc/Downloads/xpdf-svc-mac-4.04\ 5/bin64/pdfimages /Users/svc/Downloads/xpdf-tools-mac-4.04\ 5/bin64/pdfinfo /Users/svc/Downloads/xpdf-tools-mac-4.04\ 5/bin64/pdftohtml /Users/svc/Downloads/xpdf-tools-mac-4.04\ 5/bin64/pdftopng /Users/svc/Downloads/xpdf-tools-mac-4.04\ 5/bin64/pdftoppm /Users/svc/Downloads/xpdf-tools-mac-4.04\ 5/bin64/pdftops /Users/svc/Downloads/xpdf-tools-mac-4.04\ 5/bin64/pdftotext >
zsh: parse error near `\n'
svc@SKMACBOOK ~ %  cd\< /Users/svc/Downloads/xpdf-tools-mac-4.04\ 5/bin64 \>
zsh: command not found: cd<
svc@SKMACBOOK ~ %

ccstone · April 19, 2023, 4:34pm

I see you're not familiar with the Terminal...

cd space-character

NOT

cd < >

Drag the bin64 folder onto the Terminal, which should put its path into the Terminal (unless Apple has helpfully changed something)...

You'll end up with something that looks like this:

cd /Users/chris/Downloads/xpdf-tools-mac-4.04/bin64

Return key.

That moves the working directory into the bin64 folder.

From there:

./pdffonts -h

Return key.

Which will give you the help for pdffonts.

In any case – you did manage to return the help for one of the files you dragged into the Terminal – so the good news is that the xpdf tools will work on your system.

I'll get back to this in a bit...

rogerklotz · April 19, 2023, 4:55pm

Chris - I aplogize - yes, I am new to this, so thank you for your patience but I appreciate all of the help. I've done what you suggested and this is the new output I've received.

svc@SKMACBOOK ~ % cd /Users/svc/Downloads/xpdf-tools-Mac-4.04/bin64
svc@SKMACBOOK bin64 % ./pdffonts -h
pdffonts version 4.04 [www.xpdfreader.com]
Copyright 1996-2022 Glyph & Cog, LLC
Usage: pdffonts [options] <PDF-file>
  -f <int>       : first page to examine
  -l <int>       : last page to examine
  -loc           : print extended info on font location
  -locPS         : print extended info on font location for PostScript conversion
  -opw <string>  : owner password (for encrypted files)
  -upw <string>  : user password (for encrypted files)
  -cfg <string>  : configuration file to use in place of .xpdfrc
  -v             : print copyright and version info
  -h             : print usage information
  -help          : print usage information
  --help         : print usage information
  -?             : print usage information
svc@SKMACBOOK bin64 %

ccstone · April 19, 2023, 5:26pm

Okay...

Remind me what version of macOS you're working with and whether you're using Apple Silicon hardware.
Put the xpdf-tools-mac-4.04 folder directly on your Desktop.
Run the macro.
You likely will be asked for your user-password.

If all works as expected the correct files will be installed in the correct folders – but I'm still using macOS Mojave and have to guess at how later versions of macOS will behave (not to mention the new quirks of Silicon Macs).

Download: Install xpdf tools from its folder on the Desktop v1.00.kmmacros (9.7 KB)

Macro-Image

Macro-Notes

Macros are always disabled when imported into the Keyboard Maestro Editor.
- The user must ensure the macro is enabled.
- The user must also ensure the macro's parent macro-group is enabled.

System Information

macOS 10.14.6
Keyboard Maestro v10.2

rogerklotz · April 19, 2023, 7:25pm

Hey Chris,

Of course - I am using Ventura 13.2.1 and have the newest MacBook Pro with M2 chip.

ccstone · April 19, 2023, 7:38pm

Were you able to run the macro?

rogerklotz · April 19, 2023, 7:41pm

I ran it and this was the folder that was created

ccstone · April 19, 2023, 8:00pm

There should have been 2 folders opened in the Finder.

/usr/local/bin/

and

/usr/local/share/man/man1/

It does not look like the appropriate files were moved...

All the files from the ~/Desktop/xpdf-tools-mac-4.04/bin64/ folder should be moved into:

/usr/local/bin/

And all the files from the ~/Desktop/xpdf-tools-mac-4.04/doc/ folder should be moved into:

/usr/local/share/man/man1/

rogerklotz · April 19, 2023, 9:56pm

I just re-ran and this is the output I have:

I do not see a man1, but I have a man8.

Nige_S · April 20, 2023, 12:33pm

Chris, is there any difference between this install and the Homebrew version? I couldn't see any, but I don't know enough to be sure...

Just wondering, if it is the same, if @rogerklotz might find a brew install easier on Apple silicon and Ventura.

ccstone · April 20, 2023, 2:59pm

You can manually make the changes I list in the above post, or you can install Homebrew – and use it to install xpdf tools.

Using Homebrew and letting it do the heavy lifting is probably the better way to go.

To install HB run the install command shown in the page above in the Terminal.

When that's done run this:

brew install xpdf

Finding PDF Invoices, Combining them with Purchase Orders and Check Copies

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